Eclipse
by Graymalkyn
Summary: James Vega's last shore leave gives him the chance to engage in conversation -and perhaps a little more- with Miranda Lawson. One-shot written for my lovely friend Circe80. Characters belong to BioWare.


**Eclipse**

Cortez laughed when he heard him groaning in pain that morning. "Time and tide don't wait for anybody, eh, Mr. Vega? Seems like partying all night long is no longer something you can do without consequences…"

"Less yapping and more coffee-making, Esteban," James muttered, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Boy, that Ashley could sure hold her liquor. It had been all fun and games until she'd started talking about Shepard. James knew when a woman was not over someone, and he didn't need all that drama. He already had enough of that with the whole Reaper business. Even though the Commander was a tough guy, he felt that the man was losing it. He'd stopped calling him 'Loco' for that very reason. And during that last mission…

He wasn't sure what had happened between Shepard and the woman he called Miri – it was none of his business, anyway. But he'd never seen Shepard take a job so personally, even though everything seemed to matter to him. What Cerberus had done in that place had been the most fucked-up thing that James had seen in a long time, but he was sure that there had been something else between them.

Steve handed him a mug of steamy black coffee, which James gulped down as if it was tequila. The hot drink burned down his throat and he grunted. "Eh, it's a bit watery, but it'll do…"

"Next time _you_ make it," Cortez scoffed. "We're running out of the good one. Maybe when we're at the Citadel we can get some."

James didn't reply immediately. He massaged his shoulder, lost in thought. Would there even be time for shore leave? Everything seemed to be coming to a close…

"Hey Esteban," he called after his friend. "If we go there again… What d'you say if we get a few drinks? Just you and me, at Purgatory. I get a good view of the blue beauties, you… Well, you do whatever you feel like doing."

"Deal," Cortez replied with a smile. "But I won't pay for your cerveza. I swear you could drink a yahg under the table…"

* * *

Her body was still sore. That bastard of Kai Leng had managed to beat her in all the right places. She wondered who had been in charge of his upgrades. Another operative that had surely been indoctrinated. Miranda shuddered. That could have been her, if she hadn't met Shepard.

Commander Shepard, the guy that had turned her… into what? She'd been self-sufficient all her life, and then that man had come and forced her to work in a team. Teams worked _for_ her – she was never 'part' of them. For God's sake, she even had made him! How come she'd been changed _by_ him?

He was a pure Alliance type, and wearing the Cerberus uniform had never suited him. She wasn't an asset to him. He barely took her along while in his missions. At first she'd believed that he acted that way because he didn't trust her. But it wasn't until she'd seen him working with Jacob that she realized that she was always cast aside because she was the one that had set up a barrier between them.

And she'd started to feel the loneliness. Every time she heard some laughter, some bantering, she couldn't help but feel isolated. And then that thing with her sister had happened. At the time, she'd felt that she was demeaning herself by asking him for help. She was expecting him to smirk or make a snide remark on how mundanely needy she was – just like anybody else. But he'd nodded and set course to Illium right away, and when everything was over, he'd encouraged her to talk to Ori.

After that, she found herself joining him when he went on his silly missions for Hackett. More and more often she'd stood by the others; she'd talked to the aliens, and she'd started to rethink her role in the mission. Operative Lawson became Miranda, or simply Miri, as Shepard called her.

_"__Miri and Ori,"_ he'd said, smiling down on them when the Sanctuary nightmare was over. Miranda had almost been fooled for a moment there. She knew him. She'd _made_ him. Things were starting to get to him. She'd seen the look in his squadmates' eyes – the sweet-looking asari and the Alliance hunk. They were concerned about him.

Miranda entered the elevator and rested her back against the cold wall. Through the glass, she caught a glimpse of the outside. The Citadel, once immaculate and unthreatened, still bore the scars of the fight that had taken place there some years ago. They'd never really gone away, and the latest attack had only exposed them. She looked away and saw her reflection in one of the metal panels. Her hair looked like a hot mess and her lip was still swollen from the fight with the freak. She smirked.

The Citadel wasn't the only thing that wasn't safe and perfect any longer.

* * *

The beat of the music usually drew him in, but this time he just felt like staying at the bar. Damn, was he getting old? He shrugged and massaged his shoulders as the bartender slid another beer over the counter. He took a swig as his eyes followed the swaggering moves of the asari dancers.

A faint flowery scent caught his attention. He turned around and saw her ordering a drink. She looked like shit – understandably, since she'd recently taken a hell of a beating. Well then, shit wrapped in gorgeous leather. Her short jacket gave him a view of her perfect hips.

"Hey…" he called her. "Miri, isn't it?"

Her blue eyes looked at him jadedly. "It's _Miranda,_ actually. Vega, right? I thought you guys were supposed to be tracking down Kai Leng?"

"Yeah, well… The commander needed a day off. Too much fucked-up crap going on these days."

"Tell me about it," she said, delicately holding the cocktail glass between her fingers. "You hang out with Shepard for long and he'll take you to hell." She played with the cherry in her surely-too-sweet-to-handle drink.

"At least the_ Loco _will give you a ride back," James shrugged, resting the cold beer against his forehead. He saw her nod and press her lips to the rim of the glass, savouring the red-coloured drink. "So… How did you two meet?"

"I would have thought you already knew that. I made him," Miranda said casually. "Remade him, to be honest. I'm surprised he didn't tell you about Project Lazarus. Though I guess you have Cerberus to thank for that. It was their project and their money, after all…"

"Yeah, well, when it comes to Cerberus, excuse me if I don't jump for joy," James replied bitterly.

"No need to get snarky, Lieutenant," Miranda noted, raising an eyebrow. "Not even you can say that Cerberus is 100% evil. You've seen what they were able to do." Her voice turned soft as her fingers caressed the glass.

_Oh man, Loco,_ Vega thought. First Ashley, then this chick? Shepard had been busier than he'd thought… He felt a slight snort and when he turned, he saw Miranda rolling her bright blue eyes.

"It wasn't like that," she said with a little smile. "I never had many friends. Shepard just happened to be there for me when I needed a helping hand."

"A helping hand, uh-huh," James smirked naughtily, hiding his face in the glass.

Miranda scoffed. "Really? I'm being serious here, Vega!"

"I know, I was just teasing; relax." He shrugged, and she couldn't help but notice his well-shaped torso underneath the simple fabric of his shirt. "Eyes are up here, Lola."

"Excuse me?" she arched an eyebrow. "What did you call me?"

"Lola… Had a friend, with an older sister," he muttered. "The hot kind. Anyway," he cleared his throat. "Just my way of dealing with people. I'm no smooth talker, really."

"I noticed," Miranda murmured, amused. She knew his type: loyal to the bitter end. No wonder Shepard had given him permission to call him whatever he wanted. "Why _Loco?"_ she asked, allowing herself a little curiosity.

"Pffft. Have you seen the shit he gets into? No sane person would do that. Are you sure you brought him back the way he used to be?"

Miranda chuckled. "I won't take the blame for that. The galaxy was already in turmoil because of him before that thing with the Collectors."

"Yeah. I've got a friend who says that it's easy to find where Shepard has been. You just got to-"

"Look for the trail of bodies?" Miranda ventured.

"Follow the smoke," Vega smirked.

"Works just as well," she conceded.

They spent some time talking about the only thing they had in common – the guy that both relied on. They ordered a few more drinks and told each other the anecdotes about Shepard that they'd missed. Time was spent talking about EDI and calibrations; Earth, and the ones who had been lost. Vega was aware that at a certain distance, Joker was watching them with a bemused expression. Cortez was talking to EDI and it looked as if they were gossiping.

He cleared his throat. "Sanctuary... You handled yourself pretty well there, especially since you were on your own. Impressive."

"Thanks." She finished her drink. "I had to get used to it. This last year… Well, it's been tough."

"Doesn't have to be that way, though. You can always come back to the Normandy."

"Tempting," Miranda replied. "But I think I'm more effective behind the scenes. In fact, I came here today to pull some strings; collect a few favours and such. I hope to make a difference." She slid the glass away and rested her hands on the counter, as if she was pushing herself away from the comfort of the bar and the conversation that she was having with this guy she barely knew.

"This is probably our last shore leave," he said, and his voice was almost drowned by the loud music of Purgatory.

"Oh, come on," she smirked. "That crap might work on those asari dancers, but not on me…" But she could see it in his dark eyes. He wasn't trying to get her into bed. There was something painfully honest about that guy.

"I'm just saying… This is a good time to say goodbye, you know?" He looked around and suddenly the lights of the place seemed to blind him. The music turned into a hum, something that made his bones chill, and the colours and the heat of the place turned into a swirl that enveloped him. A shadow crossed his face. Miranda was standing close, blocking the light and forcing him to focus.

"You're not looking well. I'll tell Joker-"

"I'm fine."

"You need to-"

"I said I'm fine," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm just… tired."

Miranda stared at him in silence. "Okay," she finally murmured. "Well… Good luck. And if you see Kai Leng… _When_ you see him, just kick him in the balls for me."

"You got it, babe," James smiled.

He watched her go. Shepard was right. That was definitely her best angle.

* * *

She finished dealing with her business and as she returned to the apartment that she was borrowing, she found herself thinking of him. No, it was madness. She wasn't that kind of woman. And he didn't seem to be that kind of guy either. For all his bravado, Vega appeared to be warm, and so very _human._

"I must be crazy," she sighed, as she sent a single message to the old frequency. _Presidium - 82._ She sat down and waited – half an hour, maybe more. Ridiculous. Why would he come to her? She turned off the lights and grabbed her jacket, ready to leave. Yes, she was definitely out of her mind.

As the door opened before her, she found him standing outside, shuffling his feet awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze.

"So… Listen…" he started to say. She moved aside so that he'd enter the apartment. As he passed by, she could feel his warmth. How was that possible? Perhaps she just needed someone's touch. Perhaps there was something special about him. It didn't really matter.

She reached out for the lights, but he grabbed her by the wrist gently. She couldn't see his face anymore; his broad back was standing between the lights outside and her. His silhouette exuded manliness and protection. She was no damsel in distress – he'd told her so himself. And yet, seeing him like that…

His rough fingers trailed a way up her arm towards her face. His thumb stroked her jawline slowly. The light behind him let him take in the eclipsed beauty of her features; it was something that went beyond her physical appearance. All he could see was a woman that had soldiered on, that had defied what she'd been made for and survived.

She caressed his hand as she took his thumb between her lips. Her right hand tugged at his T-shirt briefly, as her fingers wriggled over his stomach, feeling his firm body and the heat that he gave off. He slid his fingers through her hair and found the soft skin at the back of her neck. He pulled her against him gently as his mouth covered hers in a deep kiss that took her by surprise. She leaned against him, digging her fingernails on his side, tasting his bitterness in the same way as he felt the sweetness in her tongue.

He broke the kiss and took a step back as he kicked off his boots and took off his clothes. He didn't give her much time to look at his naked body. He picked her up by the hips and she let him do so, wrapping her legs around him as she struggled with her zipper.

"Let me…" he murmured in her ear with that soft husky voice of his. She closed her eyes and kissed his neck as his hands ran over her breasts and down her stomach, setting her on fire.

Minutes, hours, days… She no longer knew how long they had spent there. Every inch of her body had been explored and indulged. His hands, his tongue, those lips of his… He was dark and hot and hungry. He was under her, guiding her hips as she rocked them against his. He was behind her, and his rough fingers stroked her delicate skin, possessing her. He was on top of her, his tongue running up her neck as he entered her slowly but firmly. He moaned as she dug her fingernails on his back; as she told him –no, she wasn't telling, she was _asking_– to never stop. They got lost in each other, and the rest didn't matter anymore…

He lay on his side. His fingers ran over her soft skin, casting a shadow on her that she embraced as her own. Her chest rose and fell with the good kind of exhaustion, and she passed her fingers through her messy hair as a smile appeared on her face.

"Glad to see you had a good time too," James murmured. She tried to see his features, but they were darkened by the lights outside. She could only see a glimmer in his eyes that, together with the amusement in his voice, made him sound smug. _Oh, what the hell, _she thought, amused; the man deserved it. She'd been more than satisfied with his performance.

"I wish I could have shown you my biotics in a better light," she purred, stretching comfortably. "But by the time I remembered I could use them, I was very much entertained by something else… I doubt I'll have the energy for that now."

"Oh, that can be arranged," he said, leaving a quick kiss on her neck before getting out of bed. "I make a mean breakfast. What d'ya say?"

Miranda's eyes followed him across the room, and she smiled.

...

**A/N:** First ME story I've ever written :-/ A short story about a pair that really baffles me, but that my dear friend **Circe80** ships. Kinda like a branching-out of my Aidan Shepard's headcanon story.


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